Thoughts about China

Many people would assume that Singapore and China are very similar. Indeed, majority of Singapore’s citizens are of Chinese descent. In fact, if you trace our ancestries back by a mere 2 or 3 generations, you will find that most, if not all our grandparents and great grandparents were immigrants from China. The unfortunate truth is that I was never a fan of China in the past. A holiday trip to Beijing in 1995, when I was just 8, left a terrible impression. A subsequent vacation to Yunnan also sharpened my stereotype of people spitting at every corner, littering at will and using toilets which were simply repulsive. Even a trip to Shanghai 6 years ago did nothing but confirm China’s reputation for having chaotic streets and a serious air pollution problem. My impression of China then was just 3 words. Filthy, rude and detestable. Our education system and exposure didn’t do much to improve this impression either. Increasing emphasis on the importance of English and long term exposure to American TV dramas convinced me that the grass was always greener on the Western side.

We’ve come to generalize the world so quickly that we often forget the importance of personal interaction and relationships. We’re so used to holding a macro and sweeping view of things that it takes a constant and conscious effort to break our stereotypes, especially the negative ones. Last year, my exchange experience in Europe taught me that there are good sides and bad sides to everything in life. Therefore, I decided to challenge myself and come to China for the summer. After being here for about 2 weeks, I must say that I have met too many generous, friendly, open, sincere and helpful people here. They’ve definitely changed my attitude towards China, forcing me to draw a line between the external circumstances which so often leave people powerless and the hopes and aspirations each person possesses. While I cannot say that I have or ever will be able to accept all things (Mainland) Chinese, I can now say that I will make a conscious effort to consider carefully before making sweeping statements about this country or lumping them all in one bad category. I can truly say that coming for this DT was one of the best decisions I've ever made so far. I really hope that China will develop into a more gracious, open and vibrant country, and have nothing but best wishes for the new found friends I’ve made.